For the time being, a sense of relief.But the "Crunch Time" is yet to come!

I also have two more important bouts.

I will do my best!!

Another tsukebito, Nishitani, also achieved kachi-koshi today.Gradually, the kachi-koshi or make-koshi of the various rikishi are being determined.They will all do their utmost till the very end so please cheer them on.

Yesterday, it looked like the NHK broadcast had a feature on tsukebito.Even though I am standing on the hanmichi, I couldn't tell if I'd be on the air.When I returned to the dressing room, everyone told me "Wow! You were on TV."I was a little embarrassed.

About the Senshuraku Basho Closing Party, there will be a lot of fun events.So, please get together with your friends and join us.

I didn't have a chance to take a picture today.I'll try to find more interesting things to photograph.

It pleases me that we are getting so many comments recently.Thank you very much.Newcomers to the blog are very welcome!

Sorry that the blog entries are so brief during the basho.But you can be sure that I won't neglect my duty (play hookey) of doing updates.

I am doing my best to write the blog so please forgive meeven if the contents are not that interesting.

From time to time, I will include some comments from Blog readers. These comments plus an occasional profile of a deshi may make the reading of the thread more meaningful.

Comments received at Tamanoi Beya after "The Legend of Amanowaka, Part II."

I enjoyed "Legend of Amanowaka, Part II." It reminded me of the time I went to the Summer Festival, where Amanowaka-san, in charge of the "Game Corner," was being tormented mercilessly by a bunch of little tykes.

Kids: "Fatty . . . Fatty . . ." Amanowaka: "I am NOT fat!"

This went on and on. Amanowaka-san never lost his temper and quite gently "confronted" his tormentors.

It was quite a charming scene.

* * *

Amanowaka-san's "I want to be called 'cute' too" statement was really, really "cute."

* * *

Like the person who wrote above, I too thought Amanowaka-san's statement [quote] was really endearing. Please continue to show us the unusual side of everyone that we don't see on the dohyo.

* * *

It looks like all the people of Tamanoi Beya really get along well with each other. (Love, love) (Laugh)

* * *

[In English] Thank you so much for writing to us fans.We are very happy to get the chance to read all this funny stuff! Please keep on writing!

[In Japanese] A belated best wishes from Germany to all of you.

Gambatte!

Japanese is so difficult . . . Sorry for my mistakes(?)

* * *

Geez, Amanowaka-san seems like a really pleasant person. I once saw Amanowaka-san in front of the old heya with a "Diet Machine" attached to his midsection. (an electric impulse machine that used to be sold by mail order) It hardly looked like it would ever reach his stomach muscles, but he was visibly shaking to the impulses coming from the machine.

* * *

AMANOWAKA

Family name: Amano

Given name: Kiyotomo

Birthdate: June 28, 1979

Bithplace: Osaka

Height/weight: 175 cm 130 kg

Highest rank: Jonidan

Favorite waza: Tsuki/oshi

Nickname: Ama-chan

Blood type/Zodiac sign: A & Cancer

Hobbies: Pachi-Slo (slot machine game), cleaning up, massage

Favorite food: Akagai (Pepitona clam or ark shell)

Favorite phrase: We're all in the same boat. [as when we are in trouble]

I really enjoy reading about these Tamanoi happenings and their supporters. I am beginning to like Tochiazuma even more now.

Anyway people's names can be so difficult as there is no right way - it's just the way their parents wanted to read it.

In this case it's KIYOTOMO Amano. He used to be known as Bentenmaru. I imagine if I were named Benten anything I'd like a new shikona too.

I suppose it's worth mentioning from time to time the great site maintainied by our Hungarian member that's so helpful in a case like this if you know the year a rikishi was born. Anytime you need a bio, just go straight to http://www.szumo.hu/...index-year.html and you won't be lost anymore.

Edited by Jonosuke, 21 September 2005 - 02:29.

< Heart Technique Physique >More frailer than the flowers, these precious hours that keep us so tightly boundYou come to my eyes like a vision from the skies

...Anyway people's names can be so difficult as there is no right way - it's just the way their parents wanted to read it.

In this case it's KIYOTOMO Amano. He used to be known as Bentenmaru. I imagine if I were named Benten anything I'd like a new shikona too...

I was browsing one of my favorite Japan-related websites, when I noticed the name Benten...and I thought I'd seen that name recently...then I remembered SF! Here's a piece I snipped:

Interestingly, Lake Biwa (in Shiga prefecture) is supposedly the home of Benten, the goddess of music (her instrument is the biwa, or lute, the shape of which gives Shiga’s Lake Biwa its name) and water - she’s often represented as a white snake, which probably has some connection to the Nagas of India.

There’s a shrine devoted to Benten on Chikibushima Island, at the north end of the lake.

I suppose it's worth mentioning from time to time the great site maintainied by our Hungarian member that's so helpful in a case like this if you know the year a rikishi was born. Anytime you need a bio, just go straight to http://www.szumo.hu/...index-year.html and you won't be lost anymore.

Actually if you go here you can decide how to search-by name, birthdate,shusshin, or even by month of birth.Truly awesome site.

Edited by Kintamayama, 21 September 2005 - 07:00.

What do you get when you cross an insomniac, an agnostic and a dyslexic?

A guy who is up all night arguing with himself over whether or not there is a dog.

Thanks to everyone, I was able to win my 6th bout.One more to go! I will do my very best!

Today, [swimming champ] Kosuke Kitajima came to visit Tamanoi Beya!The photo above shows us at chanko.He is, after all, an Olympic gold medalist! I was really excited to have a chance to meet him!He was wearing three “White Bands” . . .

There is one more photograph today. ↓↓

Do you know what this is?

The answer is . . .

It is called “Akeni.”

Inside it are kesho-mawashi and shimekomi. There are also sagari, tapes and other itemsnecessary for the daily bouts.

This is what it looks like when it is packed up.In the dressing room, we open it and lay the contents on a straw matand do the various preparatory work.

It is rather heavy but, during jungyo, we have to do things like carry it from the truck.

Akeni, for jungyo, is packed to the hilt and can weigh from 50 to 60 kilo.We have to hoist it on our shoulders and carry it.It's really, really tough work.

I think those of you who have been to a jungyo site have seen rikishi staggering from under its weight . . .

However, I have heard that that was how sumo-san in the old days developed their lower body strength.In those days, they did things like carrying the akeni and walking 3 kilometers from train stations.Isn’t that pretty darn amazing. I really respect those guys.

Actually Moti's name has been bantered around everywhere from Takasago Beya's BBS to all well recognizable (and some not so well recognized) Japanese sumo websites. He is more well known in the sumo world than the Israeli Prime Minister.

But it's great to have sumo people know that many of us are as fanatical about sumo as Takanohana oyakata (OK, not that much).

It's also great to know that they know one of us cares enough about them to let the whole English speaking world know about them.

Edited by Jonosuke, 21 September 2005 - 21:30.

< Heart Technique Physique >More frailer than the flowers, these precious hours that keep us so tightly boundYou come to my eyes like a vision from the skies

I hope so...think his blog could become his "illness". Because of the hype he can't stop it anymore. Big stress- that's the reason for his mk...

However I'd like to see Asashoryu's message if he ever posts one there

Why...don't we hear enough of him...

I really like Tamanoi one as it's a lot more fun than Futeno's there is far less psycho talk...but one is a Komusubi (at least for now) so there is a lot more at stake.

The Tamanoi blog is simply better because there's no pressure. A Sekitori isn't allowed to "open a window wide". Tooyama is free and can have fun. Futeno must have a "big brother is watching you" feeling. I really hope the 12 comments a day-level will not rise much at the Tamanoi blog.

Isn't it mad, just 12...A Rikishi is a Rikishi, Sekitori or not, and Rikishi are very special. should get more support by the fans at all.

I know there are several European sekitoris who speak English. I wonder if they read our forum...as it's certainly less strain on their eyes than a Japanese BBS sumo site.

Hm...we don't know...What is so strange at (on)the japanese BBS sumo site?

I guess Tooyama (7 bouts) has a little more free time than Futeno (15 bouts), so it's clear that Futeno has nothing else in mind than analysing his own bouts from a psychological point of view. But I wonder what Futeno's blog would look like if he was more successful this basho. Up to now his blog was really almost depressing to read...

Thanks to everyone, as of today, there are twelve of us with kachi-koshi from Tamanoi Beya.

Win or lose, there are only three days left!

We will all be doing our very best so please cheer for us.

I have my seventh match scheduled for tomorrow.I will apply my own sumo and do my utmost!

Well, today’s photo shows a scene from the dressing room.

That is a television set which you see hanging from the ceiling.All the rikishi watch the daily prodeedings before heading for the dohyo

The TV shows the NHK sumo telecast in its entirety as it is aired sowe are able to listen to the commentators and watch the torikumi as they happen.

The ozumo telecast starts at one p.m. so until that timethe regularly-scheduled programs are on the air.

Around noon on Sunday, while preparing in the dressing room,programs such as “NHK Amateur Singing Contest” are on TV sovarious modern ballads or popular songs must be playing in the heads of the rikishi on their way to their battle . . .

For instance, around the time of my bout these days,they would be playing classical music soI would get quite sleepy. zzz

By the way, the door in the rear is the one to the bath area.And the door to the right is the one leading to the hanamichi.

The pole on the left is the “teppo bashira.”

The gathering of people under the TVis the group of reporters doing interviews that I wrote about the other day.

There sure are some interesting stuff being sold at the souvenir stand.

You may recall that Tooyama-san discovered a Lego-like block figure of Tochiazuma-zeki at the Kokigikan souvenir store. What other items are sold at that fascinating emporium? This is what I found out in an article from Kyodo Tsushin (Japanese).

Aside from the usual towels and tea cups, there are Kokugikan-exclusive candies and knickknacks. The yokozuna and Takamisakari are reportedly neck-to-neck in the sales of such things as chocolates and senjafuda (votive) cards with their images on the them. However, Robocop has an ace in the hole--confections made from the famous Aomori apples of his home prefecture.

Kotooshu was seen buying some wood-block prints of himself to send home as souvenirs. According to the artist who does the prints, those of Robo consistently outsell all others. During the first part of the basho, Futeno prints were selling like hotcakes but recently the demand has been close to zilch. On the other hand, the Osh prints are all sold out.